Here is a list of charities that Mindstir Media recommends to help support literacy in the United States and abroad.
- First Book is a nonprofit social enterprise founded in 1992 that provides new books and educational resources to children from low-income families. First Book makes new books and other educational resources available for free and at deeply reduced prices – exclusively to educators and community program leaders who serve kids in need, from birth to age 18. To date, First Book has provided more than 125 million new books and resources to kids in need. First Book has created the largest and fast-growing network of educators and program leaders working with kids from low-income families throughout the U.S. and Canada: 160,000 strong with 6,000 joining every month. Donate now.
- Little Free Library is a nonprofit organization that supports the worldwide movement to offer free books housed in small containers to members of the local community. The organization is based in Hudson, Wisconsin, US. Little Free Libraries are also referred to as community book exchanges, neighborhood book exchanges, book trading posts, pop-up libraries, and micro-libraries, and have been likened to human bird feeders. Donate now.
- United Through Reading is the 2015 recipient of the Library of Congress Literacy Awards. In more than 200 locations worldwide, United Through Reading offers military service members the opportunity to be video-recorded reading books to their children at home. The program creates emotional connections between parents and their children, encourages literacy, and makes homecomings easier. In 2015, with the help of 13,260 volunteer hours, United Through Reading served nearly 100,000 beneficiaries, at 262 recording locations around the world distributing more than 10,000 children’s books to military children. Donate now.
- Project Night Night donates over 25,000 Night Night Packages each year to homeless children 12 and under who need childhood essentials to have a concrete and predictable source of security and an increased exposure to high-quality literacy materials during their time of upheaval. Each Night Night Package contains a new security blanket, an age- appropriate children’s book, and a stuffed animal — all nestled inside of a new canvas tote bag. By providing objects of reliable comfort, Project Night Night reduces trauma and advances the emotional and cognitive well-being of the children it serves. Donate now.
- LitWorld: As a response to the fact that, worldwide, at least 793 million people remain illiterate (two-thirds of them being women), LitWorld was founded in 2008 to cultivate global literacy leaders through transformational literacy experiences that build connection, understanding, resilience and strength. LitWorld programs are designed to build self-confidence, promote leadership, and strengthen children and their communities. LitWorld’s LitClub and LitCamp programs cultivate a new generation of leaders, storytellers and academic achievers, effecting change for themselves, their community, and their world. LitWorld programs are currently running in the United States, the Philippines, Iraq, Israel, Kenya, and Ghana. Donate now.
